The Gift of Being Extreme

And the art of finding your own rhythm in a world of discord.

Oct 22, 2024

I was sitting in a cafe in Aguas Calliente, Peru enjoying a local beer and beautiful dish of alpaca tenderloin in plum sauce. The air was crisp, nobody there knew me, and cell service was spotty at best. I was in Heaven.

Sometimes I need to go extreme. This time was a solo trip to Peru. Two weeks of getting away to clear my head.

Going for walks to relax is great, especially in nature, but it doesn’t give me the full detachment I need to really reset. I’m still too close to “all the things”.

Hopping on a plane to another continent is more like it.

When I can’t do that, picking a town on the map and driving an hour or two to see what’s there is a close second, especially if I’ve never been there and have no idea what to expect.

These extremes get me out of my routine and far away from my everyday thinking, so it truly clears my mind.

This has always been a part of me, though I hadn’t noticed it until later in life looking back.

From my late teens and early twenties, I left home and hopped from state to state, never staying too long in one place. This lasted about three years, and I loved it!

After that came about 15 years of marriage, raising my boys, and being “settled”.

My hobbies? I enjoy knitting, writing, and cooking, as well as archery, kayak fishing, and shooting sports.

Yup, maybe a little extreme.

When I discovered Human Design and that Gate 15 resides in the conscious Sun in my chart (that Sun is a big part of who you are), at first I was disappointed and a little frustrated. It’s the Gate of Extremes.

I’m not extreme! I do everything I can to stay in balance. I do breathing exercises, I practice Tai chi, I make herbal remedies for goodness sake!

But then it made sense. It’s also known as the Gate of Compassion.

It’s about trusting my own flow and embracing my own unique rhythms, and showing compassion for the others whose flow may not match mine. It’s also about understanding that marching to the beat of my own drum is the gift that others need from me. And yes, I can be extreme.

We each have our strengths and our weaknesses. What may initially look like a weakness in your life is likely one of your greatest strengths!

I invite you to think of some parts of yourself that you consider weaknesses and see if you can turn them around. Find the strengths hidden within.

I also invite you to take a look at your Human Design chart and share the gate in your conscious Sun. What does it say about your gift to the world? And, if you’d like some input on your Conscious Sun and the rest of your Incarnation Cross, let me know! (Share in the comments or drop me a DM and I’ll be happy to share my thoughts!)